Trueblood
by Liquid Fire KAN
Summary: "We'll have to burn it. It's not right to leave the body like this." Rukia nodded numbly, in shock. He was dead and Soul Society had crumbled in one fell swoop. She would have been less shocked had a sledgehammer had been bashed into her head. All she could feel was the ground falling from underneath her feet. Slightly AU – most likely.
1. Broken Pendulum, Bloody Sledgehammer

**Disclaimer: BLEACH and all trademarks are the sole and rightful property of Kubo Tite and Shueisha Publishing. **

**Summary: **_"We'll have to burn it. It's not right to leave the body like this." Rukia nodded numbly, in shock. He was dead and Soul Society had crumbled in one fell swoop. She would have been less shocked had a sledgehammer had been bashed into her head. All she could feel was the ground falling from underneath her feet. Slightly AU – most likely._

**A/N: **In light of the recent chapters. They're amazing, and at the same time heartbreaking.

**Warnings: **Rating may go up to M. Dark themes are prevalent and there several gruesome character deaths, both on and off screen. Not for the faint hearted. I'm serious. Macabre is an excellent word to describe this work.

On a lighter note, the story is slightly AU and has spoilers up to chapter 502. I say slightly, because I'm not sure how this arc will play out, only Kubo Tite does.

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Stumbling blindly through the rubble that was Seireitei, Kuchiki Rukia felt yet another explosion rock the ground beneath her feet as a surge of reishi illuminated the sky not too far away from where she stood. Screams of terror resonated from its general direction, as they resonated throughout much of the Soul Society.

They were fighting a losing battle against a much more powerful enemy, and could not be blamed. It had been something no one had anticipated.

For that reason, captains and vice-captains alike were frightened as well. There was too much destruction. How none had seen this coming, Rukia, as with many others, could not fathom.

Charging forward towards the blast zone, zanpakuto in hand, Rukia wondered how such a powerful enemy had flown as easily as they had, under the radar. Aizen was nothing compared to this. Then, there had been a chance at victory – a decent chance at that.

Today, there was only a sense of dread and apprehension, for what was to come, because so much had already come. No one had expected this.

Turning a corner sharply, as a wall collapsed, Rukia took note of the damages.

Everywhere there was death, as no one had witnessed before. The enemy was far too powerful. Captains themselves were losing. Vice-captains had already fallen.

Those who hadn't, like her, could only go forward, praying and hoping for the best. She was doing just that. But she did not expect much. As vice-captain, she had a duty, and for that she would go. Though she had gotten stronger, she knew she could do nothing against the enemy. It didn't seem anyone could.

But for duty's sake, Rukia would march forward, sword held firmly. Despairing was not an option, and so despair, she would not. Regardless, she would have to hold out, until help came; until Ichigo came.

"_Kurosaki Ichigo is on his way to Seireitei!"_

Rukia frowned. She did not like the idea of being dependent upon anyone. It made all the training she had subjected herself to seem pointless, a waste…

Ricocheting away as another explosion jolted the ground from, beneath her, Rukia sighed. For the time being, she would have to swallow her pride, because this was a battle, not for pride or duty, but for life. And Ichigo was the only one who seemed to stand a chance against the enemy who had already wreaked so much havoc.

Seireitei was becoming more and more indistinguishable with every passing second. Craters had been blasted into the ground. Entire buildings had collapsed.

And the bloodbath continued…

Leaping as a blast of reishi burst through a nearby wall (one of many), Rukia held out her arms shielding herself from the dust and debris, and continued running, and steering, and swiveling, and leaping. Seireitei had truly become an obstacle course. Charred corpses and charred bodies alike littered the streets and roofs, while others were buried under the rubble, which too presented obstacles.

Running through the streets of the Seireitei was one thing; navigating through streets which were no longer recognizable was quite another.

Vaguely, Rukia could make out a few familiar landmarks – the store which sold all of her Chappy products (almost burned completely to the ground), the place where she bought her food (a hole had been blown through it), and beside it the hair salon, from which flames were coming.

Nii-sama had joked once, that he cut his hair with Senbonzakura…

Blinking owlishly, Rukia frowned. That was a strange thing to think considering the situation. Aside from the salon, there was nothing in the vicinity that should have reminded her of such a trivial incident. After all, the eye could only see smoke, and flames, and rubble, and…

Rukia gasped.

Sakuras were falling, slowly, methodically, all around her.

Each one rustled to the ground as elegantly as the one before, as though in falling each one ushered in the next. There was a piercing beauty about it – a beauty she had witnessed seldom before. Little could compare.

Still, it was not as beautiful as _that_, which she had seen only once before. Rukia's eyes widened marginally, and then narrowed. No, it wasn't like _that_; it was _that_. But it wasn't _that_. The beauty was gone.

It was ugly. Because the sakuras were falling, it was ugly.

Some of them burned in the flames that engulfed the Seireitei, while others landed here and there in pools of blood, which the flames consumed soon afterwards.

One went plop in blood, and flames, spreading quickly, licked at the blood and the sakura.

Watching it burn, Rukia felt sick to her stomach – something had gone very wrong…

"Nii-sama…" Rukia whispered, swiveling around. This was _that_… But it wasn't _that_. It was… ugly. And her brother was… going to…

Unthinkingly, her legs carried her in the opposite direction. She did not protest as she passed the several landmarks she had passed only seconds before.

Her mind had already been made up. But the decision had not been hers. That which was thrumming frantically in her ears had decided for her. And there was no going back. The heart wanted what it wanted. In this case, the heart needed what it needed.

Blood pounded too, in Rukia's ears. Yet exhaustion was not the culprit; fear was. Rukia was very, very terrified.

Nii-sama couldn't just die.

As she ran more sakuras fell here and there. From the corner of her eyes she could see them, and she could hear the plops. The vibrance of those which fell in blood faded, tainted with death.

Whole trees wilted.

They had been making so much progress… "Nii-sama…"

He couldn't die. So much more remained that they had left unsaid. Undone…

Her heart clenched. Selfish, she chastised herself. As vice-captain of the thirteenth she had a duty to her comrades… But to him as well… She had made a promise, hadn't she – to never let any of her comrades die…

Her same heart twisted painfully –conflicted. Her comrades were dying all around her… But so was her nii-sama. It twisted some more. She had a duty.

But this was not duty any longer. Pride was no longer a player. She had already swallowed it. There was no reason to act on pride. This was a war, and everyone was dying. Everything was a matter of survival. Life and death were in question.

His life was in the question.

So, she had to save him.

The mission could wait. Soul Society could wait… but at whatever cost, she had to save him.

Her pace quickened to a sprint. She needed to save him, however irrational or selfish it was.

And she knew it was irrational. Nii-sama couldn't die all that easily. He was her nii-sama, and he was very strong, and very capable. The sakuras still fluttering in the air were proof of that. He would not go down all that easily.

The enemy, no matter how powerful (she eyed the carnage and destruction around her apprehensively), could not defeat him so easily. But she was still afraid.

A sakura tree burned somewhere in the distance amidst all the chaos and confusion. "Nii-sama…"

Fear had taken a hold and was not in any way ready to give way to reasoning and logic.

Irrational, she berated herself. She was being very stupid. Apparently, the few comrades she had left whom she ran past thought so as well, giving her wide eyed glances as she ran by.

Some part of her told her that she should have stayed – tried to help them. Another part knew for sure that the battle was already lost. There was no point in staying and fighting for a lost cause. It wasn't cowardliness, it was rationale. Even as a vice-captain, there was little more she could do for them. Given the circumstances, the best she could do was aid divisions not yet felled by the enemy.

And pride did not matter any longer.

That was her rationale. Liar…

"No…" Her heart clenched at the sound of a fallen comrade. She turned. He was barely holding on by a thread. If she didn't help, he would surely die.

But nii-sama was… She had to help the sixth… Liar...

"Dammit. No. This can't… I have to."

Rukia ran towards him as fast she had ran past him. But she was too late. He was already dead, and the dark pool of red around him had already begun to thicken. "Fuck."

Byakuya's reiatsu began to wither away just as the sakura trees. "Fuck."

She was running towards him again. There was nothing more she could offer her fallen comrade. The thirteenth had crumbled. She needed to make it to the sixth. It couldn't crumble. Renji and nii-sama were both there.

And nii-sama was…

That was where she needed to be. She had to make it there.

"You really shouldn't turn your back on your opponent; it's not a very smart thing to do." All Rukia could comprehend was that she had been cut.

Blood clouded her vision. Vaguely she realized that Renji and nii-sama were in the same boat as her. The sixth had crumbled too.

From the corner of her eyes she could see that Soul Society was burning. 'Ichigo…'

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"Ugh," she moaned coming to her senses. That slash had been bad. Feeling the still fresh wound, Rukia flinched. It hurt a lot.

'That bastard… Fuck him for taking a swipe at me in such a way!' Her eyes widened marginally as it dawned on her what she had been doing before she lost consciousness. And then they closed. She could feel his reiatsu, still weak, but there, and not waning.

"Nii-sama," she whispered, "Yokatta…"

And then she looked to the crumbled thirteenth hoping for some sign of life. None came. Everyone was gone. She couldn't even feel Ukitake-taichou's reiatsu. Tears pricked at her eyes. She blinked them away; she had no right to cry. Of all the shinigami who lay dead surrounding her, she had been the most useless.

Because of that, they were all dead. People she had spoken with just yesterday were lying dead and defiled because of her. Her promise echoed hauntingly in her ears. Ukitake-taichou was…

"KUCHIKI!" Rukia looked over her shoulder and despite herself, breathed a sigh of relief. Her captain was fine and running towards her – that counted for something. "Kuchiki, are you alright!?"

Ukitake came to a halt beside her, and she nodded. Then she frowned sadly, "You shouldn't worry about me."

"What?" Ukitake said, "Do you think this is your fault?"

Rukia faltered – she wanted to say yes. She had been able to do nothing. In duty, she had failed, and her brother was safe – but not thanks to her. There was nothing she had been able to do.

A bitter taste was in her mouth. The blood tasted bad, defeat tasted terrible, pride was no longer there. Grimacing, she turned to look at her captain. "I…"

"This isn't your fault, Kuchiki."

"Yes it is." Her voice sounded dead even to her. "I could not do anything… Seventeen months… I spent training to get stronger. And I could do nothing."

Ukitake sighed. "Nor could we…"

Looking up at her captain, Rukia blinked. "All of us have been training. And we could do nothing."

"Taichou…"

The earth shook. Rukia turned. "Ichigo…"

"He's up there," Ukitake said following his subordinates gaze, "fighting with the boss of these punks…"

Rukia blinked again. "How long was I out?"

"I don't know," Ukitake replied. "But probably a while… The royal guard came around the same time Ichigo did. Were you aware?"

"No." Rukia frowned. That Vandenreich had taken her out. And then she sighed. Even if she could do nothing, nii-sama and Renji were alright. And Ichigo was… Sokyoku hill was bathed in a bright glow of reiatsu. Ichigo… and the king…

She frowned. "What about sou-taichou?"

"He's dead."

Rukia was certain she had heard wrong. Sou-taichou had been one of the strongest, if not the strongest shinigami she had known. He was invincible. And he was dead… And Ichigo was fighting the man who had no doubt killed him…

"Ichigo…" Another explosion rocked the Seireitei, and the glow of reiatsu from the hill faded. Nothing remained. Not even a little bit of reiatsu could be felt. "Ichigo is…"

"Go!" Rukia was already sprinting, faster than even before, towards a reiatsu which was fading faster than even her nii-sama's.

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**Broken Pendulum, Bloody Sledgehammer**

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Her breaths came ragged, and her blood made a trail on the ground as she ran; but she ran, faster than ever, past the carnage that was Soul Society. Fires had been ignited here and there, and blood was everywhere. The blood seeping from her wound mixed with it.

Nonetheless, there was no hesitation. It seemed that she was running a lot today, and with good reason. There was no chance of her stopping. She had to get there, no matter what. 'At least nii-sama is alive…'

That rendered her guilty. How could she be so selfish at a time such as this?

Admonishing herself, she scoffed – that was nothing to be thankful for. Much more pressing concerns had presented themselves, the most important of which was… him.

Though she was already sprinting (shunpoing), Rukia picked up speed. Humanly, it was impossible; given the circumstances it was not. Time was running out – she needed to get to him.

It was a different him – but still.

"Fuck!" she cursed as she felt his already diminished reiatsu weaken. He was holding on by a thread. Many were holding on by threads. But those many people were not him. The squad four medics would get to those people in time. They were already bustling about tending to the wounded. And the Vandenreich were gone.

Defeated for the time being, they had retreated. The royal guard had shown up and managed to push the enemy back. She could see a few of them from the corners of her eyes. Thanks to them, had to be given.

Thanks to him also had to be given… The enemy had been pushed back not only by the royal guard, but by… His reiatsu vanished altogether. "No…"

Everything around her was just a blur. She was sprinting faster than she thought possible. It would have been almost gratifying had it not been for the circumstances. There was too much at stake. She wouldn't let him die – she couldn't…

Sokyoku hill looked farther than ever. With each step, it only moved farther away. Every step she took, and his almost depleted reiatsu vanished some more.

"Fuck."

"Fuck."

"Fuck."

She was almost there now. One step… two steps… three steps… and she was there. But there was no Ichigo, only a bloody heap. It was a body.

Rukia's blood ran cold. "ICHIGO!"

No response came. She hadn't been expecting one.

Kneeling beside him, her medical training kicking in, she checked for a pulse. One was there. "Ichigo… can you hear me?"

"Ichigo…" she tried again.

Nothing came. Tears pricked at Rukia's eyes. The warm blue glow in her palm would not be enough to save him. Unohana-taichou herself, she doubted could save him at this point.

Droplets of tears fell from her face to his. Her fingers brushed them aside. One touched his eye, which bled even more profusely than before. It had been cut, and as had the rest of him. Wherever she would look, there would be only scarlet. His hakama was wet with blood, his hair was stained with it so much of it that she could not distinguish the orange, and his exposed body (most of him), was red.

And the blood was thick. Gooey and sticky, by the consistency alone, she could tell that he was on death's door.

Gently, she placed her hand over his chest, still with a blue glow, and tried. For the man who had fought so hard to save her, she would fight to save him.

He groaned. "Ichigo!?"

"Gah…" A sigh of relief escaped Rukia. At least he was conscious. "Rukia…"

"Don't talk." Rukia said, placing her palm over his chest. 'If he exerts himself any more than he already has… he'll…'

"Rukia…" Her name came out as more of a moan than a word. The rest of what Ichigo said was a garbled mush. She was only aware of the pool of blood dribbling down his chin as he spoke and her reiatsu, desperately trying to mend the hole which had been shot through his chest

"I said, don't talk!" she shouted. "You need to conserve your energy. Otherwise I'll never be able to heal this."

Ichigo chuckled sadly, "Feh… You won't… be… able… to heal it… anyways…"

"I didn't spend seventeen months sleeping. I was training Ichigo… So I could protect you this time around… And I…"

Rukia struggled for words.

"And you what…? Screwed up?" Ichigo laughed, and then coughed violently. "ICHIGO!"

"Che… relax…" Noticing his voice weakening, Rukia's eyes narrowed worriedly. "You've gotten a lot… stronger… Rukia… I… My wounds… He used reishi so that they…"

"Couldn't be healed…" Rukia finished with dread in her heart. She had failed… Ichigo was going to die…

A few tears escaped and cascaded down her face, but she made no move to brush them away. Ichigo was going to die, and there was nothing she could do. All of the training… everything… was for nothing… She was weak.

"You're crying," Ichigo stated plainly. Blinking away the tears obscuring her vision, Rukia stared at him blankly.

She blinked again. "If you weren't dying, I would smack you for saying something so stupid."

Shuddering slightly, Ichigo grinned. "That's better. That's the Rukia that I know… Strong, proud, powerful, capable… and always willing to smack some sense into me… That's much better."

"Ichigo… you…"

"Rukia… I…" It was Ichigo's turn to search for words, "wanted to remember you like this… because this was the Rukia that was always present in my heart… The one who always knocked some sense into me… And… wasn't afraid to beat the crap out of me when I was acting stupid…"

Brushing the tears from Rukia's eyes, Ichigo continued, smiling softly, "I… I liked that Rukia… and this strong Rukia… And, I'm…"

Rukia leaned in. "I'm very glad I got to meet you."

Ichigo's body shuddered finally, and went still. Numb from shock, Rukia stared at him, and then at her hands, from which the blue glow of reiatsu had not yet vanished. A chill wind picked up.

It whipped at Rukia's hair, at her torn hakama, but she did not move. For a very long time, she remained prone. Until finally…

"Rukia-chan…" She did not turn to meet the man's inquiring gaze. Ichigo was… "Rukia-chan, this isn't your fault."

Warm arms wrapped around her. She buried her head into the man's chest. The tears did not come. Ichigo was… "It's alright, Rukia-chan. No one blames you. I don't blame you… No one will blame you. I promise. Yuzu won't… Karin won't… I won't… I promise."

"Rukia-chan… You're alright. You're fine. You're okay." The mantra reiterated itself in her mind. Clinging to it, she looked up at the figure of Isshin Kurosaki, haori and all. Then she turned to look at Ichigo's body.

"I killed him…"

"No, you did not," Isshin said calmly, an undercurrent of something in his voice. "The king killed him. You did not kill him. You saved him. He's smiling. In death… you made certain he would be smiling."

Rukia looked at Ichigo's face, and away as quickly as possible. She could not bear it. It was her fault. Why wouldn't anyone blame her? Because of her weakness, nii-sama had almost died, and now Ichigo was…

"Rukia-chan… It's fine. He died happy. He went out well. For now… we should focus on matters at hand. The war is not over… We have to get to work." Clamping his hands down on Rukia's shoulder, Isshin stared at her intensely. Meeting his gaze, Rukia felt the tears finally slide down her face again. He brushed them away. "We have to get to work… The body…"

"We'll have to burn it. It's not right to leave the body like this." Rukia nodded numbly, mute, in shock. He was dead and Soul Society had crumbled in one fell swoop. She would have been less shocked had a sledgehammer had been bashed into her head. All she could feel was the ground being pulled from beneath her feet.

Isshin was the only thing anchoring her to reality. Nodding too, he pulled a lighter from his hakama, ignited it, and dropped it.

Rukia looked on, "Ichigo…"

The flames crackled in response to her, and then swallowed him whole. Ashes fluttered about in the wind. "Ichigo…"

Steering his third daughter away, Isshin wiped a stray tear from his face. There would be no time for mourning.

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**Fin**

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**A/N: **This chapter was hopefully poetic in some way. That's what I intended for it because of its morose tone. Hopefully I got it down. Otherwise, meh…

On a side note, Rukia in the latest chapter was just ugh.

She's is definitely one of my favorite characters, but her performance was simply lacking. I don't know what exactly she was thinking pulling such a bonehead move – I honestly do not… Though I suppose (if this is at all a consolation), that it's understandable, what with her precious nii-sama down like that.

Still, I'm annoyed, so hopefully, the first part of this story will portray her in a better light… Hopefully… but in the meantime, I'll content myself with the fact that she didn't start crying. That would have been much worse than ugh.

And here's to hoping that Ruki-tan will soon rise to the occasion and wow us all.

**~ Liquid Fire KAN**


	2. Winter without Snow

**Disclaimer: BLEACH and all trademarks are the sole and rightful property of Kubo Tite and Shueisha Publishing. **

**Summary: **_"We'll have to burn it. It's not right to leave the body like this." Rukia nodded numbly, in shock. He was dead and Soul Society had crumbled in one fell swoop. She would have been less shocked had a sledgehammer had been bashed into her head. All she could feel was the ground falling from underneath her feet. Slightly AU – most likely._

**A/N: **Thank you to those who reviewed. I'm glad you enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as well. Also, for those who favorited and followed, thank you very much. The truth told I had no idea I would get such an overwhelmingly positive response. Once again, thank you. And please, read, review, and above all, enjoy.

**Warnings:** Rating may go up to M. Dark themes are prevalent and there several gruesome character deaths, both on and off screen. Not for the faint hearted. I'm serious. Macabre is an excellent word to describe this work.

On a lighter note, the story is slightly AU and has spoilers up to chapter 502. I say slightly, because I'm not sure how this arc will play out, only Kubo Tite does.

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Ichigo's alarm clock rang. Rukia looked up startled. The tone wasn't one she recognized. Then she dropped her head back into the pillow.

Sighing, Rukia berated herself. She was being stupid again. It had been her who had changed the tone. The old one had just reminded her of him. Everything reminded her of him. 'Maybe… it's stupid of me to stay in his house…'

Shaking her head, Rukia nuzzled her face further into Ichigo's pillow – there was no place she would rather be. Here, she could be close to him…

A week had passed…

And each day, the sun still rose, and each day the sun still set. But Rukia Kuchiki no longer cared to watch, what once upon a time, had been a favorite pastime of hers.

She remembered the first time she had watched the sunrise with Kaien. They had sauntered away, in the early morning hours. Kaien had insisted it was the best time to train – he had said no one would interrupt them at that hour. Of course, he had been correct. As vice-captain, he knew best, and only did best by his subordinates.

He had done his best by her. His training had helped her a lot. Not just that day, but every day after, they would train early in the morning, and watch the sunrises.

In the evening, after busy days, they would watch the sunset. To outsiders it seemed romantic. It never was. Kaien was just a good mentor, and a great friend. He always had a way of cheering her up whenever she was down; he seemed to know exactly what she needed.

At that point in time, it was a friend. All she had wanted was one who would not treat her differently, because she was a Kuchiki.

Back then, they all treated her differently. Did they think she could not hear their whispers? She had ears. And she had eyes. They all looked at her in the same way – as though she did not belong among them. Often, they would speak of how her only worth was in her name.

Kaien did not belong to 'they'. He was Kaien – warm, funny, kind, accepting of all, including her. For that, she admired him. And admiration was the farthest thing from love. That man was simply everything she wanted to be.

Now, she never would be. She had failed.

Burying her head further into the pillow than possible, Rukia curled into herself. The sun was rising again, but she had no desire to greet it.

Ichigo would have thought her irrational. A stray tear slid down her cheek. It had been a week, but it hurt no less. She had been useless, no matter what Ichigo had said – she couldn't do anything; save nii-sama, save Renji, save nii-sama.

Hell, she couldn't save most of her subordinates. And as of now, she could not even muster the strength to get up.

'I'm pathetic…' she thought. 'I'm very pathetic…'

Still, she made no motion to get up. Ichigo's bed was soft. It reminded her of him, and somehow that was comforting.

Though she knew that she would never forget him, it was comforting. Being in his home made her feel close to him; it made it feel as though he had not died.

But he had. And it was all her fault. Had only she been stronger, she might have been useful – not more useful, because she could do nothing.

The tears came again, only this time, stronger than ever before. In Rukia's place, there was only a forlorn girl.

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**Winter without Snow**

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Gently pushing Ichigo's door open, Isshin looked around, and breathed a slight sigh of relief. Rukia had not been changing. He would have never lived it down had he been caught in such an awkward position with his third daughter of all people. That would have been mortifying…

Isshin sighed again. He hadn't had a choice. Knocking had not had much of an effect.

His third daughter had been ignoring him. She had been ignoring everyone ever since his son had died. He was worried. It was not good for her to spend so much time alone. So, he wanted to get her out of Ichigo's room. Talking was the only way she would feel better.

However, he doubted he could understand her half as well as his son could. Those two had shared a special connection, like the one he and Masaki had shared. To lose such a thing was devastating. It was something from which she would never recover. Kami knew he had yet to.

The death of his wife had hit him hard. He was sure the death of Ichigo had hit Rukia harder. There was no one left who truly understood her. But he supposed that he would have to try.

He cleared his throat loudly. Rukia looked up. Her eyes were red and swollen. She had been crying again.

Isshin forced a smile. "Hey, want something to eat? You haven't eaten anything in a week."

"No." The response lacked emotion. Rukia's voice was dead. A part of her was dead – it had died along with Ichigo. At the funeral, it had been that way, and the first week back had been no different.

Heaving a sigh, Isshin stepped forward and placed his large hand firmly on Rukia's shoulder. "Please eat. Ichigo would not want you to do this to yourself."

"I…" Rukia struggled for words as much as she did for air.

Breakfast was painful – she remembered how Ichigo would always smuggle her some portions. He had said that it was the most important meal of the day. Where he got the extras from was always a mystery. Now she supposed that he must have given her some of his own food so she wouldn't starve…

"Alright… I'll eat."

Relieved that he had gotten somewhere, Isshin smiled slightly, and then frowned. There was much to be done. His third daughter's voice still lacked life. He sighed. At least he had gotten her to eat. In life, the small victories counted as much as the big ones. "Okay. Do you want me to bring you something, or are you up for coming down?"

"Are Yuzu and Karin… you know… down?"

Eyes narrowing, Isshin appraised his third daughter. There were bags under her eyes, and her normally vibrant eyes had lost their familiar lackluster. Every part of her had lost its familiar lackluster. He was sure he wasn't cheerful… but Rukia was… Simply put, Rukia was dead.

She was not up for anything yet – not for eating, not for talking. Even being in the same room as other was painful.

Understandable as it was, it was painful for him. "They're not downstairs Rukia-chan. They have school."

"Right…"

He was not getting anywhere – the answers rung with nothing but a finality. Beyond offering her shelter, food, and (if needed), a friend, there was nothing more he could do.

"Alright... Come down whenever you're ready."

With a soft thud, Isshin closed the door behind him, feeling utterly powerless.

The instant he left, Rukia sighed – she was making life difficult for him. 'He must be hurting too… Ichigo is his son after all...'

"Dammit!" Frustrated, Rukia punched the pillow. Crumpling only slightly, it remained unscathed for the most part.

Rukia's anger vanished. "I'm pathetic..."

There was no escaping the fact that she had been useless. Idly, she wondered if that was why her captain had permitted to her going on a short leave of absence. That had to be it. She was useless, and so she had been ousted. Her captain was kind, but even he knew she had been weak.

Gazing at her hand, which was bandaged, Rukia smiled sadly. At least she had gotten some of what she had deserved.

With that, she stood, and walked – one step, two steps, and then three steps.

It was less painful, if she just focused on her steps. Listening to her inhalations and exhalations also helped. Keeping her mind occupied helped – that way, she could heed no attention to her surroundings, which were all too familiar; strangely comforting, but painful.

She entered the kitchen. Apparently, Isshin had not noticed her. He was busy rummaging through the refrigerator, most likely trying to salvage up whatever food he could. Sighing, Rukia spoke, "You needn't bother, Kurosaki-dono. I'm not worth the trouble."

"I thought we were past all this nonsense." Rukia frowned again – what nonsense? He surely couldn't expect her to think herself worthy of anything after all that had happened. No one could expect that of her. She was weak, and most certainly not worthy of being taken care of.

Isshin smiled softly. "I don't expect you to get over my son's death all that soon. But I at least thought that you wouldn't have any problem with calling me otou-san."

Eyes widening, Rukia felt herself being swept into Isshin's arms. "You can tell me anything you want. You know that, right?"

"Ah. Okay."

Still smiling softly, Isshin pulled away, "So, what would you like to eat?"

"Anything is fine."

"What would you like to eat, Rukia-chan?" Isshin questioned his voice firmer than before. "I want to make something you like."

A pause, and then, "Onigiri…"

At that, Isshin couldn't help but grin. Turning, he pulled the ingredients from various shelves and drawers, as well as from the still open refrigerator. 'Looks like I'm finally getting somewhere… Maybe now I can get some talking done.'

Over his shoulder, he threw a quick glance at Rukia, who had seated herself albeit rigidly on nearby chair, and his grin grew even broader. 'I'm glad you're feeling a little bit better.'

'Arigatou, otou-san…' Rukia thought, watching Isshin work. 'I'm very grateful.'

And she truly was. For the first time, she felt somewhat calm. Maybe talking would not be so bad after all.

Isshin placed the onigiri before her. "Arigatou, otou-san."

"No problem… And see, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

Rukia smiled very slightly, "No. It wasn't."

"I'm glad," Isshin said. "I was starting to think I was a terrible father... I mean with the way Ichigo always treated me. And now Yuzu and Karin too… All of my children grew up so fast."

Laughing a little, despite herself, Rukia's smile grew a bit more pronounced. "Don't say that. They all love you very much, I'm sure. Ichigo did."

"I know."

Frowning, Rukia stared intensely at Isshin – what was with the sudden change in atmosphere? Not ten seconds ago had they been laughing, and now… "Otou-san?"

"Rukia-chan, remember when I said Ichigo's death was not your fault."

Taken aback at Isshin's change in demeanor, Rukia gauged him before responding, confused. "Right… you said that the king…"

"Yes." Isshin sighed. "I said that it was the king's fault… and it is. He was the one who delivered the death blow. He was the one who inflicted all of the wounds which killed Ichigo. He was the one who made Ichigo bleed… He was the one who…"

Looking up at his third daughter who was trembling slightly, Isshin clenched his fist. "I'm sorry to have brought up any unpleasant memories. But I… want to tell you… There's something I need to tell you about all this."

Rukia just nodded blankly.

"The one, who is most responsible for Ichigo's death, is me."

Before Isshin finished, Rukia was on her feet and had rounded on him. "That's absurd. You were nowhere near Sokyoku hill! How the hell are you responsible? I'm the one who got there. I'm the one who couldn't heal his wounds! How in the hell is it your fault!?"

"It is, Rukia. It is my fault. Because the reason the king even exists, is because of a fatal error on my part."

"What do you mean?" Rukia questioned, extremely confused, and extremely apprehensive.

Isshin heaved a weary sigh. "You saw my haori Rukia, correct?"

"Yes, but."

"And you know that I am not a current captain of the Gotei Thirteen, correct?"

"Of course… but."

"And you know that the king is an old enemy of Soul Society, right?"

Flustered, Rukia threw her hands in the air. "Yes, I supposed as much… But what does that have to do with anything!? So what if you knew the king? That doesn't make any difference. According to your statement, we may as well be sitting around blaming sou-taichou for what happened! What happened was not your fault!"

"You're wrong." Isshin's voice was the softest she had ever heard it.

"It's not your fault," she restated.

"If you knew my involvement in this, you wouldn't be saying that." Isshin's face was set in a grim line.

"Then tell me…" Rukia stared intensely at the Kurosaki family patriarch. "Tell me whenever. I'll listen. And even then, I'll only tell you that it isn't your fault."

Meeting Rukia's gaze, Isshin shook his head sadly. "You should hate me for taking him away."

"You should hate me," countered Rukia simply. "I was the one who couldn't save him."

Isshin laughed. "You're a lot alike. You know what Rukia-chan; I might just take you up on that offer sometime… But for now, what do you say to going out. If you're going to be spending a lot of time here, you'll need to buy some new clothes."

Laughing again at the expression on his third daughter's face, Isshin grinned finally. "Ichigo's clothes suit you… But I'd prefer if you had some clothes of your own."

Rukia smiled sheepishly. She hadn't known what else to wear. But, she supposed that Isshin was correct – if she was going to spend time here, she may as well fit the part. It was never good to attract too much unwanted attention. Especially since she was going to be staying a while…

"Otou-san," she began, "I have a favor to ask of you."

Isshin looked at her. "Ask away."

"Please train me."

Smiling grimly, Isshin looked away – he had thought it might have been something of the sort. "Alright. We'll go shopping, and then begin. Get ready, Rukia-chan."

"I am."

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Yes!" Ichigo hissed, punching his fist in the air. Rukia was back – she was back to her normal self.

He was relieved to say the least – he hadn't like seeing her so downcast, especially over his death, which for the last week she had been.

He didn't deserve to be mourned over – he had barely managed to save Soul Society. Voices still echoed in his head – the cage was a very fresh memory. Clenching his fist, Ichigo grit his teeth. Rukia thought she had been weak. But he knew he had been weak. Defeating the king had nothing to with skill, and everything to do with luck.

The brown-haired man who had been watching the lantern as intensely as Ichigo had, chuckled. "What's the matter? You were fine a second ago."

"Nothing… Ryutaro," Ichigo replied, attempting to sound nonchalant, "I'm fine."

Studying him, Ryutaro smiled. "You're a terrible liar… But I suppose forcing you to tell me doesn't add to my tally of good qualities, does it?"

Ichigo grinned slightly, "Yeah… it doesn't."

"Whatever it is," Ryutaro said, "don't worry about it. Your girlfriend's back to her normal self, you ought to be celebrating."

"Rukia is not my girlfriend."

"Whatever you say…" Grinning slyly, Ryutaro began walking away. "C'mon. We should get going. If we stay here for too long… we'll be in a bit of a fix. Those stupid golems will be patrolling here in a bit. Both of us could take them… But… I'd rather not risk it."

"Right." Ichigo said, his face falling. His current predicament was something he would rather not have been reminded of. And regardless, he was perfectly comfortable where he was. Trekking through hell was the last thing he wanted to do, in this lifetime.

It was something he could have done without.

He sighed. However, it didn't seem he had a choice. The guardians were coming – he could hear them. Beneath him, the ground shook.

Ryutaro glared at Ichigo, who was debating with himself. 'Probably about whether we should fight or go…'

"Hurry up, idiot… … Hell's a huge place. It'll take a while to get to our destination. Besides, there's no point in fighting with the damned golems. They'll just keep coming wave after wave. We can take them… but there'll be no point to it. We're better off just going."

Scowling at his companion, Ichigo stood up, lantern in hand. "Right… you know best. Seems you've been here for a while..."

Ichigo paused – that had come out wrong. He was very grateful. But annoyed, not at Ryutaro, but at the way things at turned out. His expression softened – it still wasn't fair of him to take his anger out on his companion. "Thanks for everything by the way. I truly do appreciate it."

"You're very welcome," Ryutaro grinned. "But don't mention it. You don't need to thank me. I'm more than happy to lend my sage advice… especially to confused, angst-ridden teenagers…"

"Don't push it."

"You know kid," Ryutaro began grinning, "That expression on your face is priceless… Your expression when I told where you were wasn't as good as this."

"Jackass," Ichigo muttered, irritated, but grateful.

"I know; I know… I'll try to be serious."

"Good…" And then silence.

"So then… this may seem like a stupid question, but how are you finding it here?"

With that, Ichigo kicked him in the face, sending him staggering backwards. "I thought you were going to be serious, asshole!"

"What? It's a valid question. People react in different ways you know…"

Gazing at Ryutaro for a long second, Ichigo replied – he knew all too well. "Yeah… I guess… It's alright here. The truth told I'm just annoyed at Ginjo. If it hadn't been for him, my ass wouldn't be landed in here."

"Ginjo Kugo… huh?" wondered Ryutaro. "You'll get your revenge on him soon enough. We're going to where he is."

Ichigo stopped walking, startled. "Ginjo is here?"

"He may have been a human… but he was also a shinigami. And so because he committed murder, he ends up here."

Digesting the information, Ichigo nodded, "And you know him?"

"Yes." Ryutaro stated plainly. "I know him… I know your father… I know Aizen… and I know the king…"

"Who the hell are you? And what the hell do you want?"

Patting Ichigo on the shoulder, Ryutaro laughed again, "All in good time my friend. First, we have to get to that place. I'll explain everything. I promise."

"Right," Ichigo replied curtly as the duo began moving again. He had nothing else to say. He didn't like the idea of trusting a complete stranger… Glancing at his companion, he grimaced. There was no alternative choice. He needed answers. Apparently, Ryutaro seemed to be the only one who could give him those.

And no one else was in sight. Ichigo sighed half-heartedly – Ryutaro had helped him out. Maybe, he wouldn't be all that bad of a guy.

Kokuto's face appeared in his mind, and Ichigo stopped again. Or maybe, he was being stupid, walking into a trap. People didn't just pop out of nowhere and lend a helping hand; not where he was from. There was always a catch. Ryutaro wanted something from him.

Whatever it was, he didn't have a choice in the slightest. In the distance, beyond the mountains of lava, Ichigo could hear the guardians roaring.

Ryutaro was waiting up ahead for him. "Oi, are you coming or not, Ichigo Kurosaki! I promise I'll tell you everything. I'm just not the one to explain it all. Someone's waiting for us up ahead. He'll tell you everything!"

"Alright, I'm coming." Turning his back on the guardians, Ichigo followed Ryutaro Kuroyashiro silently. In one hand, he clutched his zanpakuto firmly, prepared for altercation, in the other was the lantern – the only connection he had to the world he had left behind. It glowed a piercing white. But Ichigo did not notice.

His gaze fixed on Ryutaro's back, he frowned. 'Ryutaro Kuroyashiro… just who are you… and exactly what is it that you want from me…? Why are you helping me?'

Back turned to Ichigo, Ryutaro continued walking, a smile plastered on his face. 'This time around, I'm going to do things right.'

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Fin**

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**References: **

Ryutaro Kuroyashiro – Ryutaro means son of the big dragon (or in some sense, son of the big lord/king), and Kuroyashiro means black against white. Yes, this foreshadows something. But, as I mention in my author's note, you'll have to wait a little bit. It's no fun to reveal the surprise right off the bat.

**A/N: **Depressing Rukia makes me depressed. It is good thing Isshin had so much love for his third daughter. I can fully imagine these kinds of scenes in the manga. And yes, I will soon be giving Rukia a few power-ups… She is in serious need of some. Kubo-sensei, please give your daughter some power-ups as well. I will love you forever.

As for Ryutaro… he's a bit of a mystery guy. You'll get to know him soon enough. Until then, I'm not saying anything. The fun is in the surprise. Don't worry; he's not like Kokuto… That would be lame. Also, for the record, he is not a main character. Not really… Not at all…

And now there's nothing left to say that I haven't already said, aside from read and review. For those who already have, and for those who have favorited and followed, thanks again. I very much appreciate it. I'm glad you've enjoyed my story thus far.

**~ Liquid Fire KAN**


	3. Heavy Metal Blues

**Disclaimer: BLEACH and all trademarks are the sole and rightful property of Kubo Tite and Shueisha Publishing. **

**Summary:** _"We'll have to burn it. It's not right to leave the body like this." Rukia nodded numbly, in shock. He was dead and Soul Society had crumbled in one fell swoop. She would have been less shocked had a sledgehammer had been bashed into her head. All she could feel was the ground falling from underneath her feet. Slightly AU – most likely._

**A/N:** Once again, to all my reviewers, those who favorited and followed, thank you very much. I'm glad you like my story. As for whether or not Ryutaro's a villain (because a lot of you mentioned him), I'm not going to confirm or deny that. All I will say is that he has an ulterior motive – though I suppose that was kind of obvious.

**Warnings:** Rating may go up to M. Dark themes are prevalent and there several gruesome character deaths, both on and off screen. Not for the faint hearted. I'm serious. Macabre is an excellent word to describe this work.

On a lighter note, the story is slightly AU and has spoilers up to chapter 502. I say slightly, because I'm not sure how this arc will play out, only Kubo Tite does.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Four hours they had spent trekking through hell – only four hours. And Ryutaro had already decided to stop for a rest. He had said that he was concerned for his companion's health.

'Yeah right… my health…' Ichigo scoffed, scowling over at Ryutaro who was fast asleep, 'More like you wanted to sleep…'

"Asshole…" he muttered. "You're the one who insisted we go so fast…"

Ichigo yawned; although, he wasn't exactly averse to the idea of taking a small nap... Frowning, he looked around. There seemed to be a nice spot of ground free of lava a few metres away from where Ryutaro was. It seemed soft enough.

He sighed. At this point, it didn't matter where he slept – he was exhausted. Dying apparently took a lot out of a person. Trekking through hell did as well.

Striding forward, Ichigo thrust Zangetsu down, and leant against it. He would just close his eyes for a few moments. Sleeping was out of the question. From his prior experiences, he knew it was never a good idea to get too complacent around strangers – it often ended in disaster…

His stomach lurched – the uneasiness had not left him. 'This guy is… strange.'

Something was definitely off about his companion… Ichigo scowled fiercely. People did not just do kind things for the hell of it these days. There was always something they wanted in return – money, favors, life, and just about everything else... Ryutaro was no different. 'That… or I'm becoming more and more paranoid by the minute.'

He looked over at Ryutaro. No, there was something off about him. Maybe it was that for someone in hell, he seemed too cheerful and calm, or maybe it was that he looked far too familiar.

Ichigo examined Ryutaro's face. The hairline, from which his mousey brown hair flowed, was familiar. His narrow jawline, his pointed nose, his thin lips… it all reminded Ichigo of someone whom he had most certainly seen before.

'It can't be just a coincidence… I've seen this guy before… I'm sure of it.'

Ichigo stared hard at his companion, and then at the ground, willing himself to make the connection he knew was there. None came, and he sighed. For the time being, he had no choice but to go along with Ryutaro…

Glancing at Ryutaro who was still fast asleep, one last time, Ichigo shut his eyes, yawning, brushing off the feeling of unease which had settled in his stomach. He would just relax for a few minutes. He was just being paranoid… Nothing would happen. If Ryutaro had wanted to do him in, he would have already done so.

Ryutaro heard snoring, and smiled. 'Silly boy…'

His eyes closed again.

**.**

**.**

**.**

Groaning, Ichigo sat up groggily and looked around. The landscape hadn't changed much, and Ryutaro was still asleep beside him. Nothing had changed.

Grasping for Zangetsu's hilt and finding it, he sighed in relief. Ryutaro hadn't done anything. He was fine, Zangetsu was fine, and hell certainly hadn't frozen over yet. Hell was just as they had left it. In fact – Ichigo strained his ears – it was rather lively. In the distance, he could hear the roar of hell's guardians. There were several.

"Ryutaro," he whispered.

No response. "Oi, Ryutaro, wake the hell up! There are guardians here!"

His companion only grunted in response and turned over in his sleep. Wide-eyed, Ichigo stared at Ryutaro, and then at the mountainous range, just over which the guardians were. It was covered in lava. 'Not that that'll stop them…'

Ichigo scowled. What was he supposed to do; fight off the all the guardians wave after wave all on his own?

The roars were only thirty or so metres away. Flexing his fist around Zangetsu, apprehensively, Ichigo released a burst of reiatsu. The guardians shrieked in response, and drew closer, angry.

One came tearing through the grange, roaring wildly. "GETSUGA TENSHOU!"

It was silenced. Another came then. Ichigo blasted it away as well. 'Well… maybe this won't be too difficult… These guys only seem to come in ones and twos…'

Three burst through simultaneously. "Shit!"

Vaulting backwards, Ichigo sent a pulse of reiatsu at each of the three, overwhelmed by their speed. They howled in pain, but did not vanish. Three more came through, and then five more came after that. Ichigo counted them – eleven.

He didn't stand a chance. Unless…

"BANKAI!"

Charging his zanpakuto, Ichigo lunged forward, discharging several bursts of blackened reiatsu. Smoke shot into the air, enveloping Ichigo, Ryutaro (still asleep), and the guardians in a shroud of debris, dust and reiatsu.

A claw shot from it towards Ichigo. Narrowly sidestepping it, Ichigo was thrown backwards, as another guardian smashed into him. It charged and released a blast of reiatsu. Ichigo, hurtling through the air, cursed, "Fuck, I'm a goner… again… Shit!"

Closing his eyes, he prepared for the inevitable impact. None came. His eyes opened and settled on Ryutaro, whose sword was no longer sheathed. "Geez kid… never provoke the guardians of hell… It just pisses them off."

"How did you… do that…?"

"Do what? Ryutaro questioned, smiling, "Save your ass so easily?"

He chortled. "I've been around a lot longer than you have kid. And I've been in hell for a lot longer too… You pick up a few things. Besides, I was strong as hell before I got my ass landed in here. Yaseiryu!"

Pillars of light shot upwards, and the guardians vanished.

"What was that?"

"My shikai…" Ryutaro stated simply, sealing and sheathing his sword. His eyebrows rose at Ichigo's expression. "What… don't tell me you didn't realize I was a shinigami?"

"No…" Ichigo said. "I… did not know…"

"Idiot…" and then a scoff… "How the hell did you not realize. Only shinigami and hollows can end up in hell."

"So then… everyone is here?"

Waving his hands about nonchalantly after sheathing his sword, Ryutaro grinned, "Yeah, they're all here."

"Relax kid," he continued eying Ichigo's apprehensive demeanour, "You might've landed them here, but they don't hate you. Actually, they're all looking forward to meeting you…"

"We're going to see them!?"

"Where did you think we were going?" A simple question – one for which Ichigo did not have an answer. He had been clueless, but now…

"I didn't realize…" Ichigo trailed off.

Ryutaro appraised him. "But now that you know, you're not going to come, are you?"

"Did you expect me to?"

"No."

"Well then, there's your answer…" Unconsciously, his grip tightened around Zangetsu as Ryutaro struck from the side.

"You're answer is not good enough!"

Ichigo could only dodge and block helplessly as Ryutaro's blade clashed against his. Sparks flew, and Ryutaro grinned. Sparks flew once more, and Ichigo staggered backwards towards the mountains from which the guardians had come. The weight of Ryutaro's blows was strong. And he had been caught off guard.

As Ryutaro's blade came down against his, Ichigo released a pulse of reiatsu. "Enough!"

"GETSUGA TENSHOU!"

The blast left his blade, and he was thrown back. Recoil had never been a problem before... But Ryutaro had kicked him in the back, blindsiding him. Ichigo went flying through rocks and debris, before finally coming to rest before an enormous pool of lava.

A blade was swung down. Ichigo braced himself. It landed next to his face – not a centimetre away. "You're already using bankai… I haven't even released… You can see where this is going, can't you?"

Panting Ichigo glared fiercely at Ryutaro, "Bastard… I've got more than this."

"I know. But so do I. You're outclassed, kid."

Resigned, Ichigo closed his eyes, "Who are you?"

"Ryutaro Kuroyashiro," he smirked.

"Bastard."

"Right…" Ryutaro grew serious, "I'm sorry for deceiving you… but if I hadn't you wouldn't have come. Tell me I'm wrong."

"You're not."

A pause and then, "I know. But I'm beginning to wonder whether or not I want you to come…"

"Why?"

Distinctly uncomfortable, Ryutaro looked away. "No offense… but you're weak as hell. I'm not sure if you'll be able to…"

The rest was a mumble.

"To what?" inquired Ichigo.

"I didn't help you because I felt like being a Good Samaritan."

"I figured as much," Ichigo said plainly, "People these days don't do nice things for the hell of it. They always want something. So what do you want from me – a favor?"

"Of sorts…" Glancing upwards Ryutaro heaved a sigh. "But this conversation will have to wait for later. We've got company."

"The hell?"

"Whether or not you want to see them… they're coming."

Scowl back in place, Ichigo stood up, punched Ryutaro in the face, and turned away. "Fuck you… I'm getting the hell out of this goddamned place."

"Where would you go?" Ichigo stopped and sighed. Ryutaro had a very good point. He didn't know where to go, and he most certainly did not know how to make his way in hell. The encounter with the guardians had been enough to prove that. Everyone here was a class above him. Aizen could take him, Ryutaro could take him, and everyone could take him. There was no chance he would be able to survive.

From the corner of his eye, Ichigo glared at Ryutaro who stared at him with a condescending smirk. Despite the fact that he was correct, Ichigo did not want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. He began walking away again – he would find his own way. There was no reason to abide by Ryutaro's agenda.

Regardless, Ichigo had no desire to see Aizen any time soon. Nor did he want to see any of the others.

"Wait." Ryutaro called. "Don't go… not right now… Hear me… hear us out… And then… if you want to leave, we won't stop you."

"And by us, you mean whom?"

"US!" The voice was very familiar. But Ichigo could not make out the figures. In the dull of hell, they were only illuminated by the glow of lava. Their faces were shaded.

"Who… are… you?"

**.**

**.**

**.**

**Heavy Metal Blues**

**.**

**.**

**.**

"Long time, no see, Kurosaki!"

Ichigo's eyes widened – there was no mistaking this voice. "Grimmjow!"

The addressed man chuckled albeit maniacally, and then set his face into a wide-toothed grin. Sharp teeth glinted menacingly, a crimson red. "Heh, he remembers me… Ya hear that you fuck!"

A man of small physique next to Grimmjow sighed. "Fool."

"Ulquiorra! You guys! Is everyone here?"

"Kurosaki," Ulquiorra nodded. "Most of us are here. However, only I and the trash standing next to me came to receive Ryutaro and yourself. The others are waiting for us."

A moment of silence and then, "Well, they are waiting for you. There are matters we need to discuss."

"Such as…?"

"We'll get to that in a bit. Let's go." And Ulquiorra disappeared over the horizon. Grimmjow glared at his companion and then at Ichigo who glared back, still apprehensive. Ryutaro was one thing, but the Espada were another.

"Hurry the fuck up, Kurosaki!" the teal-haired man shouted, irritated. Patience was not his forte.

Ichigo scowled. "Do I have a choice?"

Ryutaro steering him by the shoulder served as his only response. "Please just hear us out. Then you can choose as you wish."

His jaw locked. "Fine…"

With that, he shunpoed after Ulquiorra, but not before grabbing the lantern, discarded in his battle. Grimmjow and Ryutaro trailed not far behind. 'Probably trying to make sure I don't make a run for it…'

He scoffed, 'As if I could make a run for it.'

Everything was against him. It had been hard enough to defeat the Espada one on one – he couldn't possibly defeat all of them at once. Not to mention the fact that Ryutaro and Aizen could probably defeat him quite effortlessly…

Ichigo scowled – he did not want to see Aizen. He'd had enough of him while he was still alive. And regardless, death was supposed to be peaceful. Glancing around at his surroundings, Ichigo frowned – so much for that thought. There was nothing peaceful about hell. Even its charred, desolate landscape spoke volumes of it.

If one wanted peace, hell was not the place to be. Ichigo sighed – he was being stupid; what had he expected of hell anyways?

His fist clenched. He had expected the worst, and he had gotten exactly that. Another thrashing from the king would have been more welcome… he would've taken that over this…

Ulquiorra began to slow down, Ichigo kept pace with him. Both came to a halt simultaneously. In a clearing the four of them stood.

"So, where is everyone?"

"Hold up a bit," Ryutaro replied, "They're coming. They'll be here soon."

As they waited, him, Ulquiorra, Grimmjow and Ryutaro, Ichigo silently prayed that Ginjo was amongst those coming. He needed a stress reliever, and nothing sounded better to him than punching Ginjo around. It was his fault after all, that he was here.

Ichigo laughed lightly. Once upon a time, he would have been dead set against revenge. Now, he didn't care. Everything that had happened to him thus far was Ginjo's fault, and so, Ginjo deserved to pay. His fists clenched, ready.

And they came. First a few unnamed arrancar, and then a few he recognized – some of the Espada. Among them, were Coyote Stark, Yammy Rialgo, Szayel Aporro Granz, and Wonderweiss Margela… People whom he had defeated and those whom his friends had defeated stood before him. Ichigo eyed them, anxiously.

He was outnumbered. Behind him were Grimmjow and Ulquiorra. Ryutaro was there too. A feeling of dread settled in his stomach one more, and it lurched violently. He was outnumbered, and there was more yet to come.

Aizen was coming.

Ichigo counted his heartbeats – one, then two, then three, then four, then five… then one hundred. Aizen entered, followed by a woman, and Ginjo Kugo.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Kurosaki."

Deadpanning, Ichigo stared at Aizen who met his gaze with one equally intense. "Aizen."

"As I said not two seconds ago, it's a pleasure to see you Kurosaki. You've grown."

"Cut the crap." Scowling again, Ichigo turned away. "Tell me whatever it is you need to tell me and I'm out of here… I've already made up my mind."

"Then there's no need to tell you." Aizen sneered at him.

"I promised I would hear you out."

Laughing, Aizen ran a hand through his chocolate brown hair and then peered at Ichigo, intrigued. An instant later, he turned away, bored again. "You're lying. It's easy to read you. You don't care about helping us… but you do want to know what we're up to."

A bead of sweat trickled down Ichigo's brow. "That's not true at all."

"Don't lie."

"I…" Ichigo struggled and then, "Fine… I want to know what's going on here. Why are all the Espada here, why are you all convened together? What are you planning?"

"A breakout." Ichigo did a double take. A breakout… Aizen spoke of it as though he were discussing the weather – so casually. A breakout… He should have known. Everyone wanted out, not just him. Everyone wanted freedom.

He wanted freedom. Something rankled within him. "How?"

"I thought you didn't want anything to do with us."

"How, Aizen?" he growled. "I want out as well! I don't deserve to be in this damned place!"

Unfazed, Aizen continued smiling. "Of course you don't. We know. You only killed Ginjo to protect your friends… And of course you want out. All of us do."

"How? And why? So you can get your asses thrown back in here by the shinigami or so you can be killed by the…"

"By whom?" Gritting his teeth, Ichigo snarled, but did not respond. "I asked you a question. Who is going to kill us? The Quincy?"

"You… you know?"

Aizen laughed. Grimmjow laughed. Ulquiorra laughed. Ryutaro laughed. Everyone was laughing as though Ichigo had missed some vital piece of information. Looking flabbergasted, Ichigo growled again, not liking being left out of the loop. "What!?"

Strangely calm again, Aizen appraised him. "Did you think that lantern in your grasp is the only one of its kind?"

Aizen chuckled, "I thought as much."

Embarrassed, Ichigo looked at the ground. Death had made him stupid; it had made him do stupid things. He felt utterly ridiculous. Even Grimmjow was laughing.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about," Aizen reassured him, still grinning himself. "We were all newcomers at some point."

"Right, whatever."

"Now then…" His voice taking on a serious quality again, Aizen continued, the smile gone, "To answer your questions… all joking aside… we don't know how… yet. But it's as you said yourself, the Quincy have come."

"So this is some sort of stupid redemption mission? You'll save Soul Society and everyone will worship you – is that it?"

For the first time, Aizen looked angry, "Listen to me Kurosaki… It's nothing of the sort. We have no intentions of eradicating the Quincy."

Ichigo scoffed, "So you're going to join them… help them out a bit maybe… hope they'll let you live?"

"I thought I told you to listen to me!"

He had had enough. A surge of fury rippled through him. "Why the hell should I give a damn what you have to say? You tried to kill me and my nakama! More than once! Give me one good reason why the fuck I should listen to you!"

"Because I didn't try to kill you." Aizen was calm again. Ichigo stared at him in disbelief, all others forgotten. The two of them were in their own world. "I did not try to kill you, Kurosaki Ichigo. Had that been my intent, I would have killed you back at Sokyoku hill."

"W-what…?"

Sighing, Aizen ran a hand through his hair again. "I had never intended to kill you… I did intend something for you… but it did not come to pass. You are here."

If he had been baffled before, Ichigo was even more baffled now. "What the hell's that supposed to mean… I'm here… Like hell I am. Because of that bastard standing behind you – Ginjo."

"What I mean to say… is that," Aizen strode forward and Ichigo tensed, "I never intended to kill you. I only wanted you to lose your shinigami powers. Permanently. But you did not. You, standing before me is proof of that."

"I- I… don't…" stuttering, Ichigo looked away from Aizen, from the crowd.

"I didn't expect you to understand. The Hogyoku is an intricate artifact. Very powerful… very mysterious. It responds to the will of the wielder's heart," placing his hand over his heart, Aizen frowned.

Ichigo frowned, still befuddled, "So you wanted me to lose my powers?"

"Yes and no… As I said, the Hogyoku is a very mysterious object… It's hard to… explain."

"Why?" his voice was soft now. "Why did you want me to lose my powers?

Aizen smiled again. "Simple. I needed to keep you alive. I needed you to be alive. Many people needed you alive."

Dread had set in again. "For what purpose?"

"You thought the Vandenreich were bad, Kurosaki? Get ready for something far worse."

"I… fought with the king… What could be…?" Aizen cut him off again.

"What could be worse? Several things could be worse… There are people," contemplating his words, Aizen stopped. "I mean to say, there exists a faction far worse than the Vandenreich… People who could defeat the king. Very. Very. Quickly. And very, very easily. They're…"

"That's quite enough!" Ichigo turned his gaze to the female who stood behind Aizen, next to Ginjo. She smiled warmly at him. "He's only seventeen. Don't go scaring him."

"Hmm…" Aizen looked thoughtful for a minute, and then. "Alright. I'm going."

And with him, left all the Espada. Ryutaro, the woman, and Ginjo were left in the clearing. Ichigo stared at each in turn, and focused on the female. "Who are you?"

"You must have asked that quite a few times today… huh?" she wondered gazing at him. "Yeah… right. I'm Yuza Toshiko. Pleasure to meet you!"

She held out her hand, and Ichigo took it. "I'm in charge of keeping these idiots off each other's backs. I keep them in line. Also… I'm available at all hours if you need to you know… relieve some tension…"

Ichigo looked at her flabbergasted and then at her voluptuous chest. She winked suggestively. "Relax kid. I won't make you do anything you don't want to. It looks like you've been through hell and back… No pun intended."

Grinning, she pulled him away from Ryutaro and Ginjo, "C'mon, I'll show you some nice places where you can crash. Believe it or not, hell's got some really nice spots."

"Wait." Ichigo tugged at her. "I want to talk to those two for a second."

"Whatever it is, it can wait for a bit. You need some rest." She tugged at his arm.

Protesting, Ichigo pulled back. And she pulled forward. Ryutaro intervened. "She's right. You look exhausted. Rest. We're not going anywhere. Ginjo and I'll still be here when you wake up. You can talk to me then, and kick Ginjo's ass into the ground then. Rest."

Ichigo threw a meaningful glance at Ginjo. "I'll see you in the morning dick-head! I'm not too pleased with you either!"

"Right." Yuza pulled him away. The lantern was still clutched tightly in Ichigo's hand.

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**Fin**

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**References: **

Yaseiryu – The name of Ryutaro's zanpakuto, its meaning is an allusion to its owner's name – wild dragon. From what is seen of it in this chapter, it allows the wielder to move at supersonic speeds rivalling those of even Tensa Zangetsu's. Its speed is such that the wielder can move fast enough to cut down several guardians without appearing to have moved.

Yuza Toshiko – Yuza Toshiko is a resident of hell, and mutual friend of several of her inmates. She has a kind, bubbly personality as her name so indicates, as it means alert for you. However, she is also very impulsive and very interested in sexual endeavors. Her assets will be of constant bother to Ichigo – I'll make sure of it.

**A/N: **Once again, I feel the need to thank all my reviewers, followers, and those who favorited. Thank you very, very much. This will be my last update for a week or so, as I will not be having access to a computer for that time span. Why – do not ask; my life is very strange.

… I just realized; this was a very talking oriented chapter. Hopefully, you aren't bored out of your minds. There were just a few details I needed to incorporate into the plot. At least Grimmjow and Ulquiorra made a comeback. I'm still waiting for them to return in the manga… Well, I'm hoping for Grimmjow to come back as he was not confirmed dead. (Kubo, you said he would come back…)

As for how and why everyone ended up in hell when they should have been purified and reincarnated, all will be explained. You'll just have to wait a bit. I have it all planned out – surprisingly. Usually I start writing stories with no idea of how they are going to end. This time, that is not the case – I know exactly what the conclusion is going to be. A long wait till then.

Regardless, read, review, and as always, enjoy!

**~ Liquid Fire KAN**


	4. Wildflowers of Hell

**Disclaimer: BLEACH and all trademarks are the sole and rightful property of Kubo Tite and Shueisha Publishing. **

**Summary:** _"We'll have to burn it. It's not right to leave the body like this." Rukia nodded numbly, in shock. He was dead and Soul Society had crumbled in one fell swoop. She would have been less shocked had a sledgehammer had been bashed into her head. All she could feel was the ground falling from underneath her feet. Slightly AU – most likely._

**A/N:** I'm back! And with an extra-long chapter (sort of) to make up for not updating in a while… In my defense, I did tell you that I was going on break for a bit. Well, it was a bit longer than expected… Some stuff came up. And regardless, this chapter was difficult to write. Please excuse any grammatical and spelling errors... I'm almost sure there are quite a few.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this one. I finally shed some light on Ryutaro's character. Despite not being a main character… his back story is very crucial to the plot.

And once again, thank you for reading and reviewing.

**Warnings:** Rating may go up to M. Dark themes are prevalent and there several gruesome character deaths, both on and off screen. Not for the faint hearted. I'm serious. Macabre is an excellent word to describe this work.

On a lighter note, the story is slightly AU and has spoilers up to chapter 502. I say slightly, because I'm not sure how this arc will play out, only Kubo Tite does.

_Italics _denote flashbacks...

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Yawning, Ichigo awoke and stretched only slightly before groaning. The ground had seemed so very comfortable when he had laid down to rest.

In retrospect, he didn't think it had been such a good idea. He was stiff and sore all over. And though he had never been one to complain, he was sure that his aches had aches…

Looking around he sighed – another problem with hell: There was no indication of time in hell; no way of telling how long he had been asleep.

A while, he supposed. That woman, Yuza, had covered him with a tattered tarpaulin – most likely because he had been asleep for a while. Stretching his arms upwards, he yawned again. The fatigue had not yet left him.

Dying had taken its toll on him, as had the events from the night before…

Ichigo scowled. That was not something he wanted to think about. It would only rile him up. His scowl deepened.

He still wasn't sure if it was night or morning. Hell was as gloomy as ever, and no time existed.

Wishing he still had the spirit phone that Urahara had gifted him (it had been lost in the battle), Ichigo stood up and pulled away the tarp. There was no point in grumbling. It would get him nowhere. The prior evening (for lack of a better term), had gotten him nowhere either. He would have to figure things out for himself. Glancing into the horizon, he sighed again.

Only problem was, he did not know where to start, or whom to ask. There was Aizen. He most certainly had all the answers. Ichigo frowned – as if Aizen would ever make things simple for him. He would have to find another way – another person… He recalled Ryutaro's words – he had told him they would talk once he had rested.

'Ginjo too…' Ichigo gritted his teeth. These days his problems were infinite, and the solutions he had he could count on his fingers. Life (or the afterlife), seemed so very unfair.

It was just one thing after another. First it had been dying, and then hell, and then Aizen, and then Ginjo, and now this.

Both Ginjo and Ryutaro had promised they would talk later. But Ryutaro was nowhere in sight, nor was Ginjo.

Everyone had vanished, to their own corners of hell, where they could do whatever they wanted to in private. Yuza had explained it to him last night. She had told him it was better that way. Because they couldn't stand each other, it was best to convene only when absolutely necessary.

"Yeah…" grumbled Ichigo, sarcasm heavy in his voice, "Like last night was necessary… As if I need more on my plate than I already have… Stupid Aizen… stupid Ginjo… stupid Ryutaro… Stupid hell…"

Apparently, welcoming him had been absolutely necessary. He scowled even more furiously than before. Where was the welcoming wagon now? He could have used a few more familiar faces… That would have been nice…

The scowl vanished – moaning and groaning would get him nowhere. If they would not come to him, he would have to go to them; if he wanted answers he would need to get them himself.

Seeking out Ryutaro's reiatsu though it was faint, he shunpoed off.

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**Wildflowers of Hell**

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Despite not having slept in a while, Ryutaro was not tired. It was not like him to get tired. He remembered his father telling him when he was very young, that he never got worn out.

He remembered that same pride turning to rejection as he grew older. When he had been young, his zeal had been a good thing. As he grew older, his father grew more and more annoyed by it. He had said that he should grow up. His childhood zeal had become immaturity, and he had become a blemish upon his clan. A rush of anger and then, a crash… Ryutaro's fist connected with a smoldering, boulder. It cracked, and then turned to dust.

Panting, Ryutaro sat down. Dwelling upon such things rarely had positive effects. Still, he couldn't help it – it wasn't fair what had happened to him. First rejected by his father, and then used and discarded like a ragdoll by that man…

Sighing, he closed his eyes. If he remembered correctly, that had been his fault in its entirety.

"_Ryutaro?" He jumped a little and then turned. He thought only he had known about this place. That's why he always came whenever he wanted to be alone, being careful to always conceal his reiatsu. That was something at which he was adept. Even his father had said so. He sighed. That same father who had once praised him was now the source of his woes. The praise had turned to a weary disgust. And now, his own father would no longer even support him. _

_He had come up here to mope – alone. But he was no longer alone. Staring at the black-haired man whom he had seen just a few hours ago, he scowled. "You have no business here, Hitoni. Tell me what you want, and then leave. I have no interest in you." _

"_I came simply to offer my condolences. That wasn't fair of your father – siding with that Kurosaki brat instead of you."_

_Eyes narrowing, Ryutaro scoffed. "That's it. You wanted to console me. How touching… Tell, me how in the hell did you find this place; there's no way you followed me. I concealed my reiatsu."_

_The man smiled strangely. "For every way there is of masking one's trail, there is a way of tracking the very same trail. Believe it or not, I followed you."_

"_Because you felt bad?"_

"_Quite." Ryutaro blinked, and then turned back to stare across the horizon, watching the sunset. That was the other reason he came here so often. It was beautiful. His father had told him that his mother had enjoyed watching the sun rise and set from here. He enjoyed as well – privately. Sometimes, his sister would come too. That was nice. But this man, who was still standing behind him, was irking. _

_Ryutaro rounded on him. "Alright, you told me what you came here for… now get lost!" _

"_I hadn't quite finished. I came, not only because I wanted to console you, but because I have a proposition…" Gauging Ryutaro's expression, the man smiled warmly, too warmly._

Fists clenching, Ryutaro raged once more, crushing several boulders. Blood seeped from the newly formed abrasions on his hands. He stopped. It was irrational to get so frustrated. But he couldn't help it – he howled in fury – that man, his face, everything about him was an endless source of torment.

Another boulder shattered in Ryutaro's wake. The last before Ryutaro sat down once again – what had happened was as much his fault as it was Tsumaru's. Had only he not accepted that proposal, he would not be in hell. His sister and friends would not have been murdered in cold blood. And he would not have to depend on that boy – Kurosaki Ichigo.

He snarled. Now he no longer had a choice. Was he to exact revenge, he would need to use the boy. A flood of guilt washed over him. He hadn't changed in the slightest. Selfish, his father had called him. He was still selfish – using the boy. He scowled… This was different. He was not doing this for himself entirely. It was an act for the general good. Regardless, he would make sure the boy wouldn't die.

He would protect him with his life.

"Oi!" The boy called him. "Ryutaro! You said we'd talk!"

Turning, he stared at Ichigo, annoyed – yes, he'd promised, but he'd also wanted to be alone. A scowl and then, "How'd you find me…? Never mind…"

He hadn't concealed his reiatsu this time. Of course the boy could have easily found him. He appraised him. The boy was frowning, confused. It vanished. Ryutaro smiled. At least one question had been knocked of the agenda. "What do you want, Kurosaki?"

"You said we'd talk!"

"Yeah," Ryutaro said, "I did. Come down here, and we will."

There was no response, but Ichigo began making his way towards him. Within seconds, they were face to face. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything." He laughed in response.

"That's tough kid." And then he frowned. Ichigo's expression was as serious as ever. His expression too grew grim again. "Right… everything… What do you want to know first?"

Ichigo looked annoyed. "You can't just tell me?"

"There's too much to tell." Ryutaro grimaced – far too much to tell. Entire history books could have been filled with what had transpired. And what had transpired had yet to end. He sighed. "Ask away, and I'll answer as best I can."

Testing him, Ichigo frowned. "Alright, how do you know Aizen?"

Easy enough… "I worked with him back in the day. Worked with your father too…"

"I didn't ask about my father," Ichigo replied stonily. "I asked about Aizen…"

"But you wanted to know about him too."

For Ryutaro's counter, Ichigo had no response. He had wanted to know that detail… And now he did – somewhat. It was all still very vague. Worked with him on what? "Alright… what'd you work with him on?"

"I'm not the right person to tell you that," said Ryutaro plainly. "Ask your father when you get back to the world of the living."

Ichigo scowled. "You said you would answer my questions."

"No, I said I would answer to the best of my ability. And this is the answer I can give you for that question."

"Fine, how did you end up in here?" Ryutaro smiled – this question he had been expecting. And for young Kurosaki, he had the perfect response.

He sneered, "I let myself be manipulated like a fucking ragdoll."

"By whom?"

"By a bastard… I killed for him, I lied for him, and he turned on me and killed me!" Ichigo watched as Ryutaro's fists balled into fists. And then, he looked at his face, turning an ugly shade of red. He could tell it was a sensitive subject.

"You really don't like this guy… huh?" Waving his hand nonchalantly, Ichigo turned away. "I won't ask. This is your problem. I'll go bother someone else."

Ryutaro stared at his back. He coughed. "Right… you do that."

There was a pause, and then, "Thanks…"

Ichigo was already gone.

'Probably to beat the shit out of Ginjo…' Ryutaro blinked. He had not been expecting that. 'Although… I guess even I can be done in… Wouldn't be the first time…'

_Staring at the man, Ryutaro's eyes narrowed even more. "You have a proposition for me… What is it?"_

_The man smiled cheerfully. "You don't like your father very much, do you?"_

"_That's none of your concern really," he replied coolly. "Hitoni, your place in this world is to serve me and my family, not to concern yourselves with our personal lives. Get lost. I'm not interested in anything you have to say."_

_Footsteps echoed as the man walked away. "A pity… Your father would be ever grateful to you if you did this…"_

"_What did you say?"_

"_I'm offering you a chance…" said the man as calmly as before, "at redemption."_

"_Redemption?" The word danced in Ryutaro's mouth leaving a tingling sensation behind. It was something he had dreamt of for the longest of times. To be regarded in his father's eyes the way he once had been (good, to put it simply), was what he had wanted more than anything. 'No… not what I wanted but rather… it's what I still want more than anything…'_

_Skeptical, he turned to face Tsumaru Hitoni, "How?" _

"_A mistake…" _

"_A mistake – what the hell are you going on about?"_

_Tsumaru's smile did not vanish, but only grew. "Yes, a fatal mistake… You see, there are several people in this world who would love to… How do I put it? There are people who would love to see Soul Society fall… along with us. For the sake of… political leverage, let's call it?"_

"_Political leverage?" Ryutaro quickly turned his expression of confusion to one of annoyance. This man was spouting nonsense – and he understood none of it. But he didn't need to know that. That would only make him easier to exploit – an easy target. And he was not going to be that._

_He was not going to be exploited. _

"_Get lost…"his voice was breathy, and uneven, but he was relieved nonetheless. He could hear Tsumaru slinking away. _

'_Foolish boy… don't you know there's no saying no to me?' a smile played on Tsumaru's face for the last time. Everything was falling into place. It would only be a matter of time... unless… _

_From the corner of his eye, he caught Isshin Kurosaki's figure striding up towards the terrace. A scowl replaced his ever sly grin. 'You were always going to be a thorn in my side, weren't you, Isshin…?' the smile returned, 'No matter… I'll off you, and that'll be that.'_

'_It's a good thing you're so gullible, Ryutaro boy… It suits me well.'_

'Gullible…' Ryutaro sighed. 'The man I thought I could trust turned out to be the man who betrayed me… And the man who I hated turned out to be the one who saved me…'

Ryutaro perched himself comfortably on a nearby rock – one which had not yet been turned to rubble by him and smiled softly. 'The world is a strange place… Who would have thought you'd be the one to save me, eh, Isshin?'

And then a hushed laugh echoed in the clearing.

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Rukia huffed, exhausted and annoyed. The training was exhausting, and as far as she could see, quite pointless.

She was a shinigami – it didn't make any sense to her to train in a gigai. How would it help her?

Narrowly dodging another blast of reishi from Urahara's blasted contraption, she scowled. It wouldn't help her. Training in a human body was utterly pointless. Why Isshin had put her up to this, she could not fathom – it was downright ridiculous.

Yes, she wanted to avenge Ichigo, yes, she wanted to become stronger, yes to all of it. But this was not the way she had envisioned herself doing those things. Another pulse of reishi came at her. This time, she chose to block it with the wooden katana in her hand. No zanpakutos, Isshin and Urahara had said – it wasn't good for the training.

Her scowl deepened. 'And this training isn't good for anything… How the hell am I supposed to fight the likes of Buckbeard in a gigai...?'

"Oi, otou-san!" A snore… and then another one. Rukia stared at the elder Kurosaki in utter disbelief. Kurosaki Isshin was asleep.

'The nerve of him!' A vein throbbed in her temple. 'No wonder Ichigo was always complaining about him. Unbelievable.'

A gust of air escaped her open mouth. She shut it and stepped towards the machine, which (for some unfathomable reason), was no longer firing reishi at her.

A blast of kido escaped from her fingertips, and in its place, was a pile of smouldering rubble. "Stupid machine."

Another wave of guilt washed over her. She had no right to be angry – she had been useless. If anything, she should have been grateful to Isshin and Urahara for training her, and especially grateful to Isshin for being so understanding and caring when he had just lost his son. 'Because I was weak…'

And then, Isshin's words from earlier echoed in her ears. _'If you knew my involvement in this, you wouldn't be saying that…'_

'Involvement in what?'

Rukia's face was set in a frown. She did not understand anything anymore; she wasn't sure if she could be expected to. Everything seemed to have some intimate connection with the past – Isshin's past, Ichigo's past, sou-taichou's past. And she knew nothing about anything. Pursing her lips, Rukia stared at Isshin for a long minute.

"Exactly what happened all those years ago, otou-san?"

When there was no response, Rukia turned away. Isshin cracked an eyelid open and grimaced. He was good at feigning. It had fit his job description nicely… all those years ago… 'Rukia-chan, you wouldn't believe me if I told you…'

A sigh.

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_It was quiet again in the terrace. Ryutaro frowned despite himself. 'Che… I should be happy… that guy's finally gone. I'm alone again… It's nice, quiet, serene…'_

_And some part of him was happy. Very happy – that he could be alone in the place his father had told him was so cherished by his mother whom he had never known. So very happy – that he could almost feel her presence hovering over him, protecting him. _

_Though he had never known his mother, Ryutaro had always thought of her as a kind, caring woman; one who would never judge an individual, one who would be willing to look past his mistakes and shortcomings and forgive him, one who would love unconditionally… unlike his father. The annoyance from earlier returned. _

_No matter what kind of person his mother had been, he would never forgive his father. 'As for Hitoni… he can screw himself. I don't want redemption. My father made his choice and I've made mine.'_

_Something gnawed at him. Liar – he wanted redemption… more than anything. Of his own volition he had admitted that. He wanted redemption. And he would have it, regardless of everything else… _

"_Who were you talking to Ryutaro?" Ryutaro jumped slightly caught off guard, and then scowled at Isshin who returned the gesture._

"_That's none of your concern," sneered Ryutaro with the utmost loathing in his voice. "Who I talk to is my concern and my business – not yours… Stay out of my life, Isshin." _

_Isshin's scowl only grew. "Don't be reckless, Ryutaro. Otherwise, this will only come back to bite you in the ass. Tsumaru Hitoni is not your friend."_

"_Nor are you. It's because of you that my father hates me."_

"_No, it's because you screwed up that he hates you." Ryutaro drew his zanpakuto. "Do him a favor, and don't screw up again. Don't trust Tsumaru. He's up to no good; he's manipulating you, screwing with your mind. That's what he does best! And you're making it easy for him to do that! Use your damned head for once!"_

_Visibly shaking, Ryutaro sent a pulse of reiatsu towards Isshin. "You're the liar! You hate me! You want to destroy me!"_

"_That's not true!" Isshin deflected the blast with his hand shattering a nearby pillar. "You're letting your hatred towards me cloud your better judgement!" _

"_And what should my better judgement be telling me, Isshin!? That you're my best friend who cares so much about me!?"Another blast of reiatsu shot towards Isshin, who could only parry it in time to dodge another. Ryutaro's laughter echoed over the sound of the columns as they collapsed, the one after the other. "What – can't take it?"_

_Isshin smirked – it was time to teach Ryutaro a lesson, "Hardly brat! GETSUGA TENSHOU!"_

_And Ryutaro went flying into a nearby marble column. Splinters of granite flew in the air, and smoke shrouded everything. _

_Coughing up blood, Ryutaro blinked frantically, trying to assess his surroundings. "Dammit," he rasped, "Isshin… where did you go?"_

"_Looking for me?" A sword was held to his throat. _

_Beads of sweat trickled down Ryutaro's forehead. "DAMN YOU! WAIT TILL MY FATHER HEARS! HE'LL… HE'LL…"_

"_He'll what, Ryutaro?" Isshin scoffed. "He'll tell you what a fool you are. That's all he'll do. You know that, and I know that. You've been warned Ryutaro. Don't do anything foolish."_

"_Why do you care, huh, Isshin!? Why do you give a fuck!?"_

_Isshin smiled grimly. "I don't care about you or your well-being. But I do care for your family's well-being. Therefore, I care for you, no matter how much I hate you. And believe me, I do hate you."_

_Laughing maniacally, blood streaming from his mouth, Ryutaro stood up. "Oh don't be stupid Isshin! The only reason you want to keep me safe is because you want to fuck my sister. I'm sure she loves it when you fuck her."_

"_Don't screw with me, Ryutaro."_

"_I'm not screwing with you at all," Ryutaro grinned wildly. "But you're screwing with her in more ways than one. You're playing her to get a quick, high fuck, and then you'll just dump her, just like all the other girls you've dated. Do I even need to remind you what happened with the last girl!?"_

"_SHUT UP!" A burst of reiatsu escaped Engetsu. "That doesn't concern you!"_

_Ryutaro laughed again – a hollow laugh. "Tch… not so fun when I pry into your life, is it? Stay the fuck away from my sister. You don't know who you're fucking with. Touch Aki and I'll kill you."_

_Incredulously, Isshin gaped at Ryutaro, and then chuckled. "You… you're going to kill me. You can't even touch me. Brat, you're outclassed here. Learn your place."_

"_No…" Ryutaro's voice went quiet. "No… you learn your place. You serve me and my family. Don't get haughty…"_

"_It's you who's haughty, thinking you're the king of the world when you're nothing more than a spoiled brat."_

"_Ban -__"_

_Another pulse of reiatsu escaped Isshin, and Ryutaro slumped against the wall, his robes torn and soaked with the blood that dripped from his mouth once more. Isshin sighed. "Damn brat… don't make me kill you. Otherwise… I'm screwed. Aki will kill me, and so will your damned father…"_

_With that, Isshin swept away, a white haori trailing behind. Tsumaru was waiting._

_A scowl plastered itself onto Isshin's face. _

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**Fin**

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**References:**

Aki (autumn) – The nickname given by Ryutaro to his kid sister. Her actual name has yet to be revealed, with good reason.

Ryo (excel) – Ryutaro's nickname – given to him by his kid sister. It is a play on words. Ryutaro's name means son of the big dragon (ryu). As such Ryo suffices Ryu.

Tsumaru Hitoni (blocked by that man) – I am not going to tell you anything about this guy. Although something about him is revealed in this chapter.

**A/N: **Hope you enjoy again. For the record, there probably won't be any more OC's for a while. I'll work with the three I have for now. Not four. Three.

Oh yeah… there'll be a short Turn Back the Pendulum sort of arc for the next couple of chapters.

On another note, I won't be updating as frequently as I was because school is starting, and there's a lot I have to get done; exams, homework, tests, quizzes, overly demanding teachers, excuses… Ahem… But I should be able to write around two more chapters this following week.

After that, I make no promises.

**~ Liquid Fire KAN**


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